No Flat Chicks: 3D Porn Is Here, Says Penthouse

Penthouse will launch the world’s first 3D porn channel in the second quarter of 2011, reports TechCrunch.

“We started shooting in 3D this past summer, and have significantly invested to perfect 3D production quality,” said Marc Bell, CEO of FriendFinder Networks in a press release. “Consumer excitement for 3D content is high, and Penthouse is the one studio that can rely on its broad expertise to deliver 3D in a manner unmatched by any other branded entertainment company.”

This news comes one day after adult entertainment rival Hugh Hefner announced he had successfully taken Playboy Enterprises Inc. private. Hefner, 84, bought out other shareholders for $6.15 a share, an 18 percent premium from Playboy’s closing price on Friday, Bloomberg reported. In July, Hefner failed to take the company private with a $5.50/share offer, in part because he was outbid by Penthouse’s parent company FriendFinder Networks, who offered $210 million.

Having struggled in the digital domain, Playboy will use the private control to focus on live entertainment clubs (One in London will open in May, joining Las Vegas, Macau and Cancun) and licensing the bunny logo. According to the Chicago Tribune, they are interested in finding a digital collaborator, and Penthouse still hopes to be it:

Though disappointed its offer was spurned, FriendFinder CEO Marc Bell said he is open to pairing Penthouse and the company’s expansive network of adult sites with Playboy in such a venture.